Automatic die press



c. D. M DONALD AUTOMATIC DIE PRESS March 10, 1925- Filed Nov. 26 192 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 10, 1925- 1,529,031

(3. D. MCDONALD 1 AUTOMATIC DIE PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1925- C. D. M DONALD AUTOMATIC DIE PRESS Filed Nov. 26, 192 3 Sheets-Sheet -s Patented Mar. 10, 1925 CHARLES D. MCDONALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC DIE PRESS.

Application filed November 26, 1923. Serial No. 876,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. Mo-

DONALD, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois, have invented'certa-in new and useful Improvements in Automatic Die Presses, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to automatic die presses, and its principal object is to provide improved means for releasing sheets if the conditions in thefeed way, become irregular, whereby a sheet may be quickly removed from the feed way, and the operation of the press resumed without the loss of any considerable time;

Another object is to provide simple means for coupling and uncoupling the finger bar from the finger bar slide block. Another object is to provide novel means for adjustably supporting the brackets that support the inserting finger mechanism. Another object is to provide simple and improved means for automatically releasing the feed bar actuating rod from the feed bar slide block in case conditions in the feed way become irregular, and for automatically restoring the connection between said rod and slide block after the condition has been corrected and the press started.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully described and claimed. i

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automatic diepress, showing a simple form of the present invention applied thereto, parts of the press that have no direct connection with'this invention, being omitted to avoid confusion; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly broken out, of the feed and inserting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; P

Fig. 5 s a perspective view of a fragment of the movable top members of the feed way; Fig. 6 is a detail, cross section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a detail, side elevation of a fragment of the finger bar actuating rod and a clutch pin associated therewith.

Referring to said drawings. which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the reference character 10, designates an automatic die press which, in general, may be of the well known type, shown and described in patents, issued to the'McDonald Machine Co., and to myself, as for instance,

Letters Patent No. 1,039,565 dated Septem-' ber 24, 1912. The construction and operation of die presses of this type is well known and requires no detailed description so far as this specification isconcerned. Briefly, the Work, (which usually comprises metal strips, from which can-tops or other articles are formed by suitable dies) is placed on a table 11, from which the strips, one at a time, are lifted from the remainder, by stri lifters 12, inserted into the feed way 13, y strip inserters 14, and fed to the dies, in a step by step manner, by feed or fing r bar mechanism 15. The. several mechanis s are synchronized to operate in timed relation to each other, by suitable operating mechanism, as is well understood.

Occasionally a metal strip becomes jammed in the feed way 13, and must be extricated before the press may continue to operate. The improved means for facilitating the removal of ajammed strip will now be described.

The feed way is located between two stationary, parallel bottom bars 16, 16 (see Fig. 4) and movable, up er bars 18, 18 located immediately therea ove. The movable bars 18, 18 are secured on the free ends of arms 19, (see Figs. 3 and 4:), which extend back and are fixedly secured upon a rod 20, mounted to rotate in ears 21, formed upon the back part 22, of the table. A handle bar 23, is secured to one end of the rod 20, and furnishes means whereby the movable to bars may be raised to exse a strip w ich has been caught in the eed way. The weight of the to bars is sufiicient to hold them down on t e work. Threadedly sup orted in lugs 34, on the back piece 22, o the table are set screws 35, which form stops for the arms 19. By

18, 18 of the fee way may be held in position, spaced from thebottom bars 16, 16 to recelve the work between them.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the top and the feed fingers 17 travel in the groove thereof. The associated top bars 18 have ofiset portions 18' that lie on and are bolted to the bar 18, and they are spaced apart along the bar 18, to leave spaces for the bar 18 is grooved on its underside,-

roperly adjustin said screws, the top bars 34, (see Fig. 2) nected thereto,

passage of the inserting fingers 14 of the inserting mechanism. In case it becomes necessary to change the location of the inserters 14, the bars 18 may be removed and replaced by bars of other lengths, so as to leave spaces at the proper places for the passage of the inserting fingers therebetween. 7 v

The finger bar 17, is mounted'to slide in a guide way 24, as usual, and-the strip feeding fingers 17 thereof, project up into the feed way as is customary and engage the rear end of the strip successively, one finger advancing the strip, a distance equal to the length of stroke of the finger bar each time the finger bar is reciprocated.

In its present form, the table 11, back piece 22, and guide way 24 for the finger bar '17, are formed in one piece as shown, and the back piece 22, thereof forms the support for the inserting finger brackets 25. The brackets 25 are adjustably mounted for movement along said back piece 22, and for this purpose the back piece is formed with a lengthwise extending T groove 29. in which are securedfthe heads of T bolts 30. that extend through bolt holes in the bases 25 of the brackets 25, and'have nuts on their endsthat fasten the brackets inplace.- The brackets 25, are formed with bearing bosses for the reception of the guide rods 14 of the inserting finger mechanism and are formed with other bearing bosses for the stems 12 that support the guides 12 of the.

strip lifters 12. Said stems 12 ably held in said bearing screws as shown. By mounting the stri lifters and inserters on the brackets 25, units are provided, each of which may be moved, as a whole, to properly locate the lifters and inserters with respect to strips of various lengths. The actuating'arms 30, 31 for the lifters and. inserters are fixedly mounted upon rock shafts 32, 33, which are rotatively mounted in the upper ends of the brackets 25, and actuated by suitable mechanism in the usual manner, as is well understood.

- Thefinger bar 17 is rcciproca-ted by actuating mechanism, including a rocker arm a connecting rod 35, cona slide block 36, a coupling member or block 37, between the connecting rod and slide block, and a connecting pin 39, between the slide block and finger bar. The pin 39 is slidably mounted in a bore in the slide blpck 36. and engages in a hole in the finger bar, and the pin is held in engage ment in said hole in the finger bar by a coiled compression spring 40. which bears against a shouldred'part of the pin and against the bottom of the socket on which it is contained. A knob or handle 41 on the lower end of the pin furnishes means whereby it may be retracted to disconnect the finger ar from the slide block. In case itbeare adjustbosses by set comes necessary to remove the finger bar,

the pin 39, is

pulled out of the hole in the finger bar and the bar withdrawn from its guide way. lVhen the finger bar is reinserted into the llldC way, the pm 39, automatica-lly springs into the when the hole comes pin.

h'OlG in the finger bar into register with the The slide block 30 is guided to reciprocate guide way formedv in the table 11 below the finger bar, and said slide block is formed with a lug 42,

to which the coupling member 37, is pivotally connected by a pin 44 which extends crosswise of the connecting rod 35.

th ron gh and is f0 ders 43,

45, has a tapered end which against the tapered The connecting. rod 35 extends a. hole in the coupling member 37,

rmed with a pair of tapered shoulagainst which a pin 45 is impinged by a coiled compression spring 46. The pin impinges shoulders of the conneeting rod and frictionably connects the rod with the coupling member 37. spring encircles the The pin and is confined under compression, between a shouldered part of the 11 and a threaded plug 47 at the 50, at one end of the guide way, limits movement of the slide block in one direction, and an adjustable pin 51 supported at the other end of the guide way, limits move ment of the block in the other direction.

The slide block 52, secured therein.

36 has a spring pressed pin which encounters the pin'51 at the end of the forward stroke of the slide block,

and the pin 50 is in positionto encounter the slide block at the end of its return stroke.

Whenever movement of the finger bar 17.

arrested, by any obstruction. which offers enough resistance, to overcome the action-of pressed pm 45, the rod 35. 1s

the spring pulled out of its pressed pin 45.

engagement in said spring and continues its strokezbut the connecting member 37. slide block 36 and finger bar remain stationary. return stroke the On its pin 45 automatically couples the rod 35, with the connecting member 37, and thereby restores the connection with the finger bar. the press when It is the practice to stop a jam occurs, relieve the press of the jam, and again start the press. With the present automatic restoring means for the finger bar, connected to the the latter is automatically connecting rod when the shoulders 43 of the rod encounter the pin 45.

In the operation of the lifters lift the strips, one at sition in front of the feed way. the serters insert the lifted strip into way and the finger bar moves the the dies usual wa press, the strip a time, to a postrip inthe feed strip to n a step by step' manner, in the n case the work becomes jammed in the feed way, or conditions therein become irregular, the connecting rod is automatically disconnected from the connecting member, thereby stopping the action of the finger bar and preventing it from further jamming the work. The press is stopped and the attendant swings the upper member of the feed way upward to expose the work, e-Xtricates the jammed strip, lowers the up per member of the feed way and starts the press. The connecting rod connects automatically with the connecting member between it and the slide block and reciprocates the finger bar in the usual manner.

From the above it is omus that when conditions become irregular in the feed way, the strip therein may be quickly and readily removed and the press again started without much delay. Furthermore, by mounting the brackets, which carry the strip lifters and inserters, on the back pieces of the table, the upper member of the feed way is made capable of movement relative to the lower member.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention; I desire, therefore, .not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an automatic die press, a feed way for the work, work lifting and inserting finger units independently supported above the feed way, and strip feeding mechanism operating to advance the work in said feed way in a step by step manner, said feed way having a movable member capable of being moved relative to the other to expose the work therebetween.

2. In an automatic die press.' a feed way for the work, work lifting and inserting finger units independently supported above said feed way, and strip feeding mechanism operating to advance the work in said feed way in a step by step manner, said feed way having a movable top member, capable of bein raised above theother member to expose the work therebetween.

3. In an automatic die press, a feed way for the work, work lifting and inserting finger units independently supported above said feed way, strip feeding mechanism operating to advance the work in the feed way in a step by step manner, said feed way having a stationary lower member and a movable upper member, arms carrying said upper member, a rod on which said armsare secured and a handle bar secured to said rod for manipulating said upper member of the feed way.

4. In an automatic die press, a feed way for the work, work lifting and inserting finger units independently supported above said feed way, strip feeding mechanism operating to advance the work in the feed way in a step by step manner, said feed way having a stationary lower member and a movable upper member, arms carrying said upper member, adjustable stops for spacin said members apart, a rod on which arms are secured and a handle bar secured to said rod for manipulating said upper member of the feed way.

5. In an automatic die press, a work table, a back piece rigid therewith, and work lifting and inserting finger units, each including a supporting bracket, mounted on said back piece, and adjustable lengthwise thereof.

6. In an automatic die press, a work table, a feed way supported thereby, and having a raisable upper member, a back piece rigidly connected to said table, and work lifting and inserting finger units, each including a supporting bracket, mounted on said back piece and adjustable lengthwise thereof.

7. In an automatic die press, a finger liar, a reciprocatory slide block for actuating said finger bar, located adjacent thereto, and a retractible connecting member between said slide block and finger bar.

8. In an automatic die press. a finger bar, a reciprocat-oryslide block for actuating said finger bar, located adjacent thereto, and a spring pressed pin mounted in said slide block and engaging in a hole in said finger bar, for releasably connecting said finger bar with said slide block.

9. In an automatic die press, finger bar mechanism, including a slide block, a rocker arm and link for reciprocating said finger bar, said rod having a pair of inclined shoulders, a coupling block connected to said slide block and having a bearing aperture hn which said rod is slidably mounted, and

a spring pressed element engaging said shoulders of the rod for yieldingly connecting said rod to the said coupling block.

10. In an automatic die press, finger bar mechanism, a coupling block connected thereto, a rocker arm and a link connecting said rocker arm to said coupling block, and having a sliding connection with said block, and a spring pressed pin frictionably engaging with said rod and yieldingly con.- meeting the rod with said block.

11. In an automatic die press, the combination of a work table, having a feed way rovided with a raisable top member, a hack piece rigid with said table, and work lifting and inserting units, each including a supporting bracket, adjust-ably mounted on said back piece.

12. In an automatic die press, the combination of a work table, having a feed way provided with a raisable top member, a back piece rigid with said table and having a lengthwise extending T groove formed therein, and work lifting and inserting units each including a supporting bracket, having T bolts secured in said T groove in the back piece, whereby said brackets may be adjustably secured at various places along said back piece 13. In an automatic die press, strip lifting and inserting mechanism, a supporting bracket therefor, and a feed way for the strips having a movable guide member free from the bracket of the lifting and inserting mechanism.

14. In an automatic die press, strip lifting and inserting mechanism a supporting bracket therefor, and upper and lower guide members forming a feed way for the strips, the upper member being free from the bracket of said strip lifting and inserting mechanism. 7

CHARLES D. MCDONALD, 

